Under the Weather
by littlegymnast
Summary: TinTin might just have the answer for how to successfully complete their rescues, but not everything goes quite to plan.


TinTin always felt like a bit of a spare part on rescues. Her specialist engineering knowledge was often inviable when first assessing a scene but once that stage was over there was little else she could do but sit and wait and watch feeling somewhat helpless. As thunderbird 2 hovered above the slowly collapsing oilrig, that was exactly how she felt. She ran a scan of the damaged platform support again, the angle of its buckle was increasing. she imputed this latest figure into her formula, and share quietly under her breath. Apparently not quietly enough as Virgil's voice clicked through her ear piece.

"Talk to me TinTin"

"It's not good I'm afraid, if my calculations are correct that supports got less than 7 minutes before it completely gives way, there 18 people still on the platform even with optimal loading times, which we don't have in this weather the numbers just don't add up"

There was a long pause then "If I fly lower, the transport time shorter"

"If you fly lower the down drafts from the jets will crush that leg in seconds"

It was obvious that sometimes Virgil felt as helpless as she did. She moved to hit the button to initiates the scan once more, they all had their duties and she's was to give the boys with as much information as she could collect. As she moved her hand she hesitated, noticing something that hadn't occurred to her before. The drilling shalt, the large, reinforced steel, movable, drilling piece. Yes, it was a long way from being a platform leg, but it only had to buy them 3 and a half minutes, that was doable, surly. She redirects her scanner and targeted the drilling shalt. Her heartrate rose with excitement as she figures flow inputting the new calculation. She heard the familiar clang of metal on metal as the rescue platform docking into the bottom of thunderbird 2 and was on her feet.

"Virgil!, I've got a plan" she blurted out as she run from the observation room, to the store lockers at the back of the pod and grabbed a heavy weather coat. Not even stopping to close the locker, she's get berated for that later she knew, she continued her mad dash up through thunderbird 2 to the rescue platform debarkations room. She could hear Virgils voice in her ear, but she didn't have the breath to explain, or the time to stop. She passed Alan shepparding the lasting rescuees to a safe area of the ship to make room from the next set. She banged through the door to the debarkations room at the same time as tugging one arm into her coat. The platform had already started it journey back down toward the platform, but only bay a foot and a half, or so making the platform railings the perfect height for TinTin to neatly value and landed gracefully on the platform floor. She pulled on the rest of her coat just in time as the platform cleared the bottom for thunderbird 2. The freezing night air mixed with the rain and wind of the storm bit into her face and she raised the large fo-fur lined hood for added protection.

Now she was abroad she could finally tune back into what was being said over the radio and she court Virgil almost shouting "TinTin? TinTin come in, what's going on" the frustration clear in his voice.

"I've got a plans" still out of breath from her mad sprint.

"so you said, care on elaborate?"

"To move the drill bit as far to the south east corner of the rig as it will go, its reinforced steel in contact with the sea bed so it should provide enough additional support to gives us that extra time."

"Won't the added weight cancel out the added support" Virgil queried, TinTin wasn't the only one with an engineering degree, but she was the only one that a gone over every detail of the rig on the flight over.

"No, it gyroscopically mounted"

There was a pause whilst Virgil weight up all the possibilities and he didn't like the outcome. "I don't know TinTin, there's just so much that could go wrong"

"If we do nothing than they'll be 8 people in the water"

"if something's goes wrong they'll be 9"

"I don't mean to interrupt, but do you even know how to operate the drilling arm" Alan's voice cut in, clearly sensing the rising tension.

TinTins heart was still beating out of her chest, she'd been rash to jump on the platform, but when she'd looked at the calculates she's been so confident that she could pull this off. It was worth the risk to save the life's, rescuing 8 people from the open water in weather like this just wasn't possible, not all of them anyway. So as the platform began to slow as it reached the deck of the rig, she leant over the railing and called out the group huddled waiting with Gordon.

"Do any of you know how to operate the drilling arm" she bellowed against the wind.

At first there were only conferred faces sharing back at hers as it slowly lowered to match their level, then a hand rose up from a man near the back. A smile spread across TinTin's face, her plan was back on track. She opened the gate in the platform railing and made to move out onto the deck. TinTin slight frame allowed her quickly to slip past the bodies edging forward, keen to get loaded onto the platform and off the rig. She headed straight of the man who raised his hand but Gordon got there quicker. She opened her mouth in anticipation of an argument but was taken aback as Gordon took hold of her by both shoulder. His face was serious and he squatting slightly so he could look her directly in the eye.

"Can you do this"

"If I can. . ." she began, but he interrupted

"It's a yes or no question, will this work"

She meets his gaze, jaw set "Yes. I can do this. It will work" and she believed it.

"Good enough for me" he cupped he hand round his mick and simple said, "we doing this guys, get that platform out of here we're still on a tight deadline." Turning back to TinTin he said "Virgil's going to give me hell for that for week, don't make me regret it" he flashed her a wink before returning to calm the last remaining workers as they stared at the raising platform.

TinTin turned to the worker, pulling down her hood so he could see her whole face, it was easier to build trust that way. "Sir, I would be unbelievable grateful if you help me move the drilling bit."

"I . . . errr. . ." he hesitated, glancing up to the rescues platform and the group of his waiting colleagues.

"I wouldn't ask if there was any other way, but we're running out of time" Her face was soft and sincere and there was something in her eyes saying this had never been a request he could turn down.

He closed is eyes and signed heavily. "Ok" was all he said but he set off at a run toward the building in the middle of the platform. They entered the building just as the broken stand began to give in. With the tortured screech of twisting metal, the platform jolted throwing them both against the corridor wall.

"We have to hurry" shouted TinTin moving to regain her feet.

"You don't say" said the worker who had manged to say on his and offered TinTin his hand. "Control room just up here on the right"

She nodded and they jogged the rest of the way, the worker enters a code to open the door and they went inside. He moved quietly to a chair on the left on the console, and started hitting buttons. Then he turned to TinTin a small smile on his face for the first time since they meet.

"The gyroscope been left powered up, we might actually be able to do this" but with that the platform took another lurch. TinTin managed to grabbed onto the console to keep herself upright this time. The whole room seemed to clank as the platform twisted out of shape. Behind them the door whirs half way close then stopped, wedged in the distorted frame.

"Be careful saying thing like that, you'll jinks us." Say said giving he a wink, but in reality her heart was racing, she had a sinking feeling they were too late "OK we need to drilling bit as close to the south east support as you can, it doesn't have to be exactly positioned, just get it over there."

The worker laughed as he flicked some switches to bring up the display he wanted "I didn't peg international rescue as being superstition" He grad a large joystick that stuck up from the control platform.

The was another almighty shriek from outside and this time the platform started to tilt, throwing TinTin backwards. She slid across the floor until her shoulders made contact with the wall next to the door. They were too late, the platform was going down and they were in the single worth place they could be. A steel room with no windows and only one exit, otherwise known as a death trap in a sinking ship, or a sinking oilrig in this case. Just as that thought had settled in her mind the rig stopped moving. She lifting her head to look hopeful at the worker still sat at in the control console chair.

"I think you did it" she said, there was another shriek from the support and they both braced themselves but there was no more movement.

"Seems like" the worker said "but it won't hold long, let's get out of here"

TinTin didn't need felling twice, she twisted up from the floor, part crawling, part falling and part running out the half open door. The working wasn't far behind her, but it was far enough. The platform must have shifted again as the door came free and slide the rest of the way closed. There were loud thuds on the steel as the working reached the close door and in his panic being hitting it with his fists.

"Hold on" yelled TinTin though she knew her voice wouldn't make it through the metal. She punched the access code she'd seen the man use earlier into the door, but the key pad flashed up with a message. 'emergency lock down, code denied'

"Typical" she said out load as she popped open the key pad to get to the wires. Emergency procedure were put in place to save lives, but in her experience they seemed to course more death than they prevented. Though it crossed her mind she might not have a very representative sample of experiences with the job she was in. She found the wires when was looking for couldn't get her hand far enough in to pull them from there fixings. She pulled off her coat with it thick sleeve and grabbed for the wires. Pulling out the ends she required she tapped them together and the door slide open to the surprise to the worker inside who had clearly been sitting with his back to the door as he topped out backwards as it opened. His mouth opened and closed in a mixture of relief and disbelief as he looked up at TinTin from the floor.

"Come on" she said, offering him her hand this time as they started their sprint towards the exit. They came out onto the platform without a second to lose, as there was a deafening fracturing sound as the drill bit gave way and the platform began to lean once more.

Gordon was only half paying attention to loading the last remaining rig staff onto the rescue platform. The rest of it was focus on the door the building TinTin had entered. This rig wasn't going to hold for much longer and she'd been in there too long. Her plan had worked the platform should have been in the water minutes ago and they'd managed to stabilise it, so way hadn't they could back out. Something must have gone wrong. He checked the platform once more, everyone was aboard.

"I'm going to go after them" he said, just about to make a move towards the building when the door came open, and the two figures burst onto the deck. They made a b-line towards the rescue platform at full speed, but it was at that moment that the rig decided to takes its final dive. It was only 400 meters between the building and the platform, but that was 400 meter that was quickly getting steeper and steeper.

"Gordon have go got TinTin" Virgil voice broke in his ear.

"Negative, she's 30 seconds away" he replies. He heard Virgil swear never a good sign, Virgil rarity swore without good reason. "Virg" he asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"You have to get on the rescue platform, I need to raise it to avoid the tip of the rig."

"Just 20 more seconds, Virg" he pleaded

"No Gordon, do it now or there won't be a platform for TinTin to get on to"

Gordon, took a deep breath and stepped onto the outside of the platform just as the rig floor began to grate against the bottom side. He hooking his arm round the top railing so he could lean out as far as he could, stretching out toward the approving TinTin with his other arm.

"Your too high Virgil" he shouting trying to swat down to get closer to TinTin. She was so close now he could see the stain on her face as she clambered up the almost 45o slope towards him. One of the other works quickly clocked what he was doing and had climb over the railing positioned next to Gordon reaching for his colleague. They were going to make it, there was a slap of skin on skin as the two rig staff made contact. TinTin figure tips brushed Gordon, but she was just that bit shorter. They both reach again, but it was too late, the slope was too steep. TinTin's foot slipped, her shoulder crashed hard into the platform and she began to slide.

Gordon's training kicking in without a moments delay, he knew want he had to do.

"Up up, gets us out of he" he shouted into the radio. He turned his body and grabbed the other arm of the worker, helping pull him up onto the platform.

"Do you have then" Virgil said he's voice sharp.

"Got the civilian, not TinTin" Gordon said matter of fact, before climbing over the railings himself. The platform seemed to take forever to reach thunderbird 2, he wasn't to shout at Virgil, to speed it up, but he knew he'd already be pushing the pulling to their limit. Instead he ran through what he needed to do in his head, exactly where he would go and what buttons he had to press. As the platform setting into thunderbird 2 belly he valued the railing in a revise of TinTin entrance earlier. He ran to the door to the pod, racing round the top gantry and slide down the hand railings of the stairs. He ignored the sharp pain in his feet as he hit the solid floor at the bottom. He "Virgil" was all he said as he reached thunderbird 4 and pressed his thumb to the assess panel.

 _"Standby to pod deployment"_ came over the load speakers though the whole ship. _"In 10, 9, 8 . . ."_

Gordon was just entering the air close when Alan voice echoed round the pod calling his name. He paused and looked up at his brother standing on the gantry both hands clasping the railings.

 _"7 . . . 6"_

"you bring her home, ok"

 _"5 . . .4"_

Gordon simple nodded then entered thunderbird 4, closing the air locks and bracing himself in his chair for the drop.

TinTin knew what was coming as she slid down the rig deck. She attempted to slow her breathing to take in as much oxygen as she could before she hit the water. When she did hit it she hit it hard, slipping deep under the surface. The sinking rig caused the water to swirl all about her and she was thrown around like a doll. Then the movement stopped and everything was calm, she opened her eyes but there was nothing but blackness, nothing at all.

Was she dead?

Had she collided with some debris and been killed instantly?

If she had that wouldn't be the worth way to go. But if this was death, then than was very bad news. Her entire body was in pain, her skin felt like it was being burn and frozen at the same time. Her eye stung and her lungs felt like they were going to burst. No, this wasn't death, this was exactly how she imaged being thrown into the sea in the dead of night would feel like. She had to find air. She looked again, turning, desperately straining to see anything but there was just blackness. She had no way of knowing which way was up which way to swim to save her own life. Finally, she could hold her breath no longer and in despair let a stream of bubble out of her nose. They rolled over her lip and chin, down the chest and belly and up to the surface, and TinTin laughed, squirting more streams of bubbles from her nose and following them to the surface.

As she broke the surface she gulped in fresh air and splashing round with her arms to stabilise herself. As the panic subsided she looked around again, taking stock of her new situation. It was a significant improvement on a few moments before, but she was still a long way from being safe. The rig was now almost at right angles to the sea, and the waves were breaking hard against it. The same waves that were pulling her towards it. She started to swim away but every foot she made away from it the waves pulled her two foot back. As she got closer she could hear the scraping and grinding of debris again the rig floor, she couldn't get any closer, but she couldn't swim away on the surface. There was only one way to move and that was back down. But this time she went under there wasn't pitch black, there was a yellow light, that grow bigger then split into two. The lights grow bigger still but not fast enough. She willed them to hurry with her mind, but even as she did that the yellow light faded to monochrome grey, the slowly began to din to nothing once again. Then suddenly there, was a mask placed into her hands, but it was too late her bodies reflect took over and she had half a breath of water before she got the mask over her face. Luckily the mask covered her whole face and she sucked in clean fresh air through her nose as she couth the water back up. As her body slowly returned to her own control, she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders. She opened her eyes to see a face surrounded by a wash of flaming hair as it was lit from behind by thunderbird 4's flood light. She couldn't see his face but did see his hand let go of her shoulder and make the ok symbol in front of her. She tried to mimic him back but her arm was shaking and her finger too cold to ably her commands, but it much have been good enough for Gordon. He gently takes her arm and leads her to the air lock. Once there both inside he actives the pump and the water level quickly lowers. Unfortunately, TinTin legs weren't in any better state than her arm, but fortunately Gordon had anticipated that. He slips his arm across her back and round to her waist, taking her wait as the supporting water drains away. He activates the inner air lock door, guides her through and seats her on the floor. The warm air of thunderbird 4 cabling was already taking effect and TinTin managed to pull her driving mask off her face as Gordon gathers some supplies from the various lockers lining the back wall. He unfolds and activated a heating blanket, draping it round her shoulders as he crashes down in front of her. TinTin gratefully accepted the blanket, pulling her knees up to her chest, she rapped it round them so her entire body was covered. Gordon lifted TinTins long hair away from her face and asked "Are you hurt"

She shook her head, but Gordon didn't look convinced.

"you shoulder?"

"It fine" she crocked the bitter taste of sea water in her making her cough a few times again, but she cleared her throat "It fine, just bruised" she said more convincingly the second time and wiggled her arm under the blanket to prove her point.

Gordon smiled and handed her a bottle of water from his pile of trick, with TinTin as thankfully as the blanket. The oxygen mask however was not so well received, but as Gordon placed it over her face and left to piolet his craft back to the pod and thunderbird 2 she didn't have the strength or inclination to take it off again. In fact, she was starting to shack all over as she body temperature began to normalise and her head throbbing. She let her head roll toward to rest on her knees, and closed her eye.

TinTin had no idea how much time had passed when Gordon came back through into the back compartment and slumped down the wall onto the floor next to her. He rested he head back against the lockers, closing he eyes. He usually quite enjoyed the adrenaline rush of a rescue but this one was just a little bit too close to home. After a few second he said. "I should thank you really"

TinTin wearily lifted her head and looked at him over the top of the mask.

"Well, he won't even remember me speaking out of rank earlier" he opened his eyes and turned his head to meet her gaze. "You know they're going to ground you for years right"

"The way I feel right now I wouldn't mind if they never let my fly again" she said letting her head roll back forward into the safely of her arms, just as the whirs and clanks of thunderbird 4 winch stopped signalling they were in position in the pod.

Gordon snorted a laugh, but lay a comforting hand on her shoulder as her stood up "Just keep breathing, you'll be fine"


End file.
